Here’s a fun fall appetizer or game day snack: Butternut squash and black bean nachos, featuring delicious fall flavors. 

I’m convinced you can put anything on nachos (within reason), and they’ll taste great.

Case in point: Roasted butternut squash. 

Not the first ingredient you’d think of as a nacho topping, but here’s the deal: It really worked!

If you’re a squash fan and a nacho fan, there’s no reason you won’t love these nachos. The butternut squash is a hearty, delicious, and unexpected nacho topping.

While these nachos are vegetarian, meat eaters will probably love this dish. This dish is also gluten free.

Note: If you’re wanting something a little heavier on the protein, feel free to add some shredded chicken or pulled pork as an extra topping.

What You’ll Need

To make these butternut squash and black bean nachos, you’ll need some simple and easy-to-find ingredients:

• Tortilla chips: Use your favorite brand. I used a 10-ounce bag of chips but you can use less or more depending on how many you’re feeding. One of my favorite corn tortilla chip brands is Donkey brand. For a grain free alternative, look for Siete Tortilla Chips.
• Butternut squash: The star of this dish is the butternut squash. While I recommend peeling and cutting your own, you may be able to find ready-cut butternut squash at the grocery store. The squash is simply seasoned with salt, garlic powder, and a hint of cinnamon.
• Black beans: You’ll need about a cup of black beans for this recipe. I didn’t use a whole can – but feel free to use a whole can if you really like beans! You can freeze any extra beans for future use in chili, black bean sloppy joes, bean dip, etc.
• Heavy whipping cream or half and half: Either will do. Half and half is the cheaper option but heavy whipping cream is a little more indulgent and rich.
• Shredded cheese: I used Monterey Jack cheese for the homemade queso and shredded Mexican blend cheese for topping the nachos. This is flexible: You can use any standard shredded cheese like cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, Mexican blend, taco blend, etc.
• Fresh toppings: After baking I topped these nachos with diced jalapeno, green onion, and lime segments on the side.
• Cranberry salsa: I threw together a super simple cranberry salsa with canned cranberries, lime juice, and a few dashes of hot sauce. The sweet salad provided a nice contrast to the heavier nachos. In lieu of cranberry salsa, feel free to serve with your favorite salsa – or skip the salsa altogether. 

Assembling The Nachos

Nachos are best when toppings are evenly distributed – not just piled on the top layer.

To do this. you’ll start out with a layer of nachos, add some of the beans, add some of the squash, and add some of the cheese.

Then you’ll do another layer.

And another.

The end result is a delicious pile of nachos that taste great whether you’re pulling from the top layer or the bottom.

Some squash nacho recipes call for slices of roasted butternut squash to take the place of tortilla chips. 

This recipe is traditional in that it uses tortilla chips as the base. But it’s untraditional in that roasted butternut squash cubes are used as a topping.

Give this recipe a try this fall. It’s great for game day, tailgating or a Super Bowl party.

Love Nachos?

In addition to these butternut squash and black bean nachos, check out these other affordable and flavor-packed recipes:

Game Day Pulled Pork Nachos

Leftover Turkey And Cranberry Salsa Nachos

Shrimp Ceviche Nachos Recipe

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Butternut Squash & Black Bean Nachos

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup shredded cheese (your choice: cheddar, pepper jack, Mexican blend)
• 1 bag tortilla chips (10 ounces, give or take)
• 4 mini bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped

For homemade queso

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (optional)

For cranberry salsa

• 1 cup canned cranberry sauce
• Juice from 1 lime
• A few dashes of hot sauce

Instructions

1. Prepare butternut squash: Preheat oven to 400F. Place butternut squash cubes on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and toss with salt, garlic powder, and cinnamon. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, tossing once, until butternut squash cubes are lightly browned and caramelized.
2. Prepare queso: Bring cream or half and half to a simmer over medium heat. Toss cheese with corn starch and add to simmering cream. Stir until it thickens. Add garlic powder and sriracha. Turn off heat.
3. On a large baking sheet or cookie sheet, place one layer of tortilla chips. Top with 1/3 of the squash, 1/3 of the black beans, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat with two more layers. Spoon on a few tablespoons of queso and use remaining queso for serving. Add bell pepper slices on top.
4. Turn on oven to 300F. Bake nachos for 4 to 5 minutes, to heat everything up and melt cheese.
5. Top with diced jalapenos and green onion. Serve with extra queso and cranberry salsa on the side (optional).

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